a new england girlhood-第39部分

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ry　thiefess；〃　having　printed　the　verses　with　a　nom　de　plume　in　his　magazine　without　my　knowledge。　It　was　awkward　to　have　to　come　to　my　own　defense。　But　the　curious　incident　gave　the　song　a　wide　circulation。

I　did　not　attempt　writing　for　money　until　it　became　a　necessity；　when　my　health　failed　at　teaching；　although　I　should　long　before　then　have　liked　to　spend　my　whole　time　with　my　pen；　could　I　have　done　so。　But　it　was　imperative　that　I　should　have　an　assured　income；　however　small；　and　every　one　who　has　tried　it　knows　how　uncertain　a　support　one's　pen　is；　unless　it　has　become　very　famous　indeed。　My　life　as　a　teacher；　however；　I　regard　as　part　of　my　best　preparation　for　whatever　I　have　since　written。　I　do　not　know　but　I　should　recommend　five　or　ten　years　of　teaching　as　the　most　profitable　apprenticeship　for　a　young　person　who　wished　to　become　an　author。　To　be　a　good　teacher　implies　self…discipline；　and　a　book　written　without　something　of　that　sort　of　personal　preparation　cannot　be　a　very　valuable　one。

Success　in　writing　may　mean　many　different　things。　I　do　not　know　that　I　have　ever　reached　it；　except　in　the　sense　of　liking　better　and　better　to　write；　and　of　finding　expression　easier。　It　is　something　to　have　won　the　privilege　of　going　on。　Sympathy　and　recognition　are　worth　a　great　deal；　the　power　to　touch　human　beings　inwardly　and　nobly　is　worth　far　more。　The　hope　of　attaining　to　such　results；　if　only　occasionally；　must　be　a　writer's　best　inspiration。

So　far　as　successful　publication　goes；　perhaps　the　first　I　considered　so　came　when　a　poem　of　mine　was　accepted　by　the　〃Atlantic　Monthly。〃　Its　title　was　〃The　Rose　Enthroned；〃　and　as　the　poet　Lowell　was　at　that　time　editing　the　magazine　I　felt　especially　gratified。　That　and　another　poem；　〃The　Loyal　Woman's　No；〃　written　early　in　the　War　of　the　Rebellion；　were　each　attributed　to　a　different　person　among　our　prominent　poets；　the　〃Atlantic〃　at　that　time　not　giving　authors'　signatures。　Of　course　I　knew　the　unlikeness；　nevertheless；　those　who　made　the　mistake　paid　me　an　unintentional　compliment。　Compliments；　however；　are　very　cheap；　and　by　no　means　signify　success。　I　have　always　regarded　it　as　a　better　ambition　to　be　a　true　woman　than　to　become　a　successful　writer。　To　be　the　second　would　never　have　seemed　to　me　desirable；　without　also　being　the　first。

In　concluding；　let　me　say　to　you；　dear　girls；　for　whom　these　pages　have　been　written；　that　if　I　have　learned　anything　by　living；　it　is　this；that　the　meaning　of　life　is　education；　not　through　book…knowledge　alone；　sometimes　entirely　without　it。　Education　is　growth；　the　development　of　our　best　possibilities　from　within　outward；　and　it　cannot　be　carried　on　as　it　should　be　except　in　a　school；　just　such　a　school　as　we　all　find　ourselves　inthis　world　of　human　beings　by　whom　we　are　surrounded。　The　beauty　of　belonging　to　this　school　is　that　we　cannot　learn　anything　in　it　by　ourselves　alone；　but　for　and　with　our　fellowpupils；　the　wide　earth　over。　We　can　never　expect　promotion　here；　except　by　taking　our　place　among　the　lowest；　and　sharing　their　difficulties　until　they　are　removed；　and　we　all　become　graduates　together　for　a　higher　school。

Humility；　Sympathy；　Helpfulness；　and　Faith　are　the　best　teachers　in　this　great　university；　and　none　of　us　are　well　educated　who　do　not　accept　their　training。　The　real　satisfaction　of　living　is；　and　must　forever　be；　the　education　of　all　for　each；　and　of　each　for　all。　So　let　us　all　try　together　to　be　good　and　faithful　women；　and　not　care　too　much　for　what　the　world　may　think　of　us　or　of　our　abilities！

My　little　story　is　not　a　remarkable　one；　for　I　have　never　attempted　remarkable　things。　In　the　words　of　one　of　our　honored　elder　writers；　given　in　reply　to　a　youthful　aspirant　who　had　asked　for　some　points　of　her　〃literary　career；〃〃I　never　had　a　career。〃







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